Ga. Tech loss lingers for some Hokies

When Virginia Tech lost, 28-23, to Georgia Tech on Oct. 17, it changed the outlook for its season. National championship? Forget about it. ACC championship? Suddenly uncertain. Bowl Championship Series appearance? Might be unlikely.

Knowing the stakes, the defeat lingered for some players and coaches during the bye week.

"Sometimes the best cure is to get right back out there and play," said Torrian Gray, the Hokies' defensive backs coach. "I really wish we could’ve just played this Saturday and had the bye week another time so you can get that taste out of your mouth."

While the players said they wanted to look forward to the Hokies' five remaining games, the meeting with the Yellow Jackets resonated. Wide receiver Jarrett Boykin said he had a difficult time even watching the highlights replayed on television.

“I think about it a lot,” Boykin said on Sunday. “I saw some highlights of it a couple of seconds ago on TV. Every time I see it I’m like, ‘Man, we should have won that game.’ It replayed in my mind a lot.”

But on Thursday, No. 14 Virginia Tech (5-2, 3-1) hosts North Carolina (4-3, 0-3). The Hokies need to win out in order to keep their slim hopes at a conference title alive. They would need Georgia Tech to lose at least one of its two remaining ACC games.